In a recent statement by Sony engineer Chris Norden, he expressed frustration that the media does not understand that the extra processing unit found in the PlayStation VR is not a separate GPU. Said processing unit (PU) is also off-limits to developers and he explicitly said that it is not an “expansion pack.”
The Processing Unit for the PlayStation VR is not an Expansion Pack
Since the PU found within the PlayStation VR is not an extra GPU or CPU, and that developers cannot access it directly to improve their games. The engineer from Sony stated that the extra box is not going to make non-VR PlayStation 4 games look better.
The use of the add-on frees up the resources found on the PS4 so that it is able to handle the heavy lifting of rendering the frames to at least a very good 60-frames-per-second. The firm makes it a requirement before they can certify a game for the PSVR add-on. Norden then confirmed that the processing unit is able to handle an array of very specific tasks so that the PlayStation 4 won’t have to.
Therefore, even though the PU is not a CPU or a GPIU, it can handle a bunch of calculations all on its own. It can even handle very specific elements such as 3D audio processing, outputting the social screen (so people are able to see what you’re currently playing with the VR headset), and it can also handle the “cinematic mode.” In this mode, it allows the user to play standard PS4 games using the virtual theater feature of the headset.
In other words, the expansion pack is not like the peripheral like the one that you can use for the Nintendo 64 that makes the console powerful enough to play Perfect Dark. Instead, this is primarily a peripheral that will let the PlayStation 4 t multiple video feeds without dragging down the console’s its performance.
The price for the PlayStation virtual reality headset has recently been announced and it is placed at a much lower point when compared to rivals Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Those who are waiting for the official launch of the device are already at the edge of their seats in anticipation.
The Sony PlayStation VR is expected to launch into markets by October of this year. As per the PlayStation blog, the date is a bit later than what they have previously stated, but they would like to thank their customers for their continuous support and patience.